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“Mindful consumption is the way to heal ourselves and to heal the world.”
Thich Nhat Hanh
Thich Nhat Hanh
When thinking what would make a beautiful image for this post, Cy Twombly kept coming to me. I've quickly come to learn that Twombly was a Humanist, along with Thoreau whose writings (on this topic) resonate for me in a similar way...
"Humanism is a democratic and ethical life stance, which affirms that human beings have the right and responsibility to give meaning and shape to their own lives. It stands for the building of a more humane society through an ethic based on human and other natural values in the spirit of reason and free inquiry through human capabilities."
ON MINDFUL CONSUMPTION
Consider the vast interpretation of "consumables"... food, material objects, media content, energy, relationships, etc. What does “mindful consumption” mean to you?
HOMEWORK
GOAL: BE MINDFUL/CREATE AWARENESS
Please select one of the following options, and do for a minimum of three to seven days.
Option 1 The New Family PortraitTake account of every new/used item you acquire and everything you dispose of or give away, over the course of one week. From farmer’s market to Target, from recyclables to compost. At the end of one week determine what actions you are most proud of, and where you want to improve. Choose one or two things for the family to work on.
Option 2 Waste Not, Want NotOver a one-week period, all family members save the garbage they produce. At the end of one week, sort and weigh the week's garbage, and (together) determine waste reduction strategies. Details here:
Option 3 Obsessive ConsumptionTrack everything you spend money on for one week. From cappuccino to cable bill, record everything. At the end of one week determine three things you can (realistically) do to reduce your consumption.
Visual Extra Credit!!So many of us are visual or visually inspired. We would love for you to create a visual interpretation of your data or of your experience, or goals: an infographic, a chart, a graph, a drawing.
INSPIRATIONDaytum, a place to track your personal data and see it visually
Visual.ly a huge resource of infographics and data visualization
Obsessive Consumption by Kate Bingaman Burt
CONSIDER FOR DISCUSSION
Please select a minimum of 1-2 questions from each category, and reflect upon prior to our meeting.
CONSUMPTIONHow concerned are you with “consumption”? Compared to, say, world population, health, global warming, etc.? Do you think they are interconnected? In what ways?
On food…Do you shop at the grocery store with a weekly menu plan, or buy what is in season, or looks good?
Are you more concerned with HOW MUCH you consume, or in factWHAT you consume? Do you have any consumption habits that verge on obsession?
Do you practice what you preach? What are you teaching your children/others about consumption? Where do you fall short? What are your strengths?
WASTE: BEYOND THE BLUE BINDo you know exactly what can be recycled? Do you always recycle those items? Do you turn in your bottles and cans for cash? Why or why not?
Do you know how to dispose of other things like batteries, paint, chemicals, and electronics? If so, do you follow through on it?
How much food do you throw away on a daily/weekly basis? Do you think it’s too much? How can you reduce the waste?
How much "stuff" do you get rid of every year? How do you get rid of it? If you don’t purge it, then how do you deal with storage?
How easy do you think it would be to reduce your trash?
IMPACTDo any of the issues presented here create a negative impact on your personal relationships? Spouse, family, friends?
Do you argue about turning off lights? Are you related to a hoarder? Who is the “green gatekeeper” in your house?
Where are you in sync? What ideas generate the most harmony in you, and in your relationships?
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